Brooder setup

[SA gardener]

One of hens has gone broody and is currently incubating 9 eggs (all I had at the time she went broody). I can't be sure ,but it seems like I'll get 7 chicks (if I'm interpeting the candling right).

I read that a hen depending on its size can look after 14 + chicks. Mine, being medium sized, I suppose could handle about 12 and I decided to order 5 chicks. I intend on sneaking them under her at night and hoping she'll adopt them. But I know that if she does not then I'll need to have a plan B .

Plan B is to raise them in my house, but I have a couple concerns
1) Will they be too noisy at night
2) Can I use a 75 watt infrared spot lamp to keep them warm (meant for reptiles)

 

[FuzzyCritters]

The chicks should not be too noisy at night, since they will be sleeping (unless you use a bright light over them). I'm not sure what a spot lamp is. Is it just a heat lamp, but with an infrared bulb? If yes, than that is just fine. Infrared is actually better for the chicks so they don't constantly have bright light over them, which interferes with their sleep cycle.

You might want to put 5 extra fake eggs under the mom so she is not confused when she gets 5 extra chicks.

 

[SA gardener]

The chicks should not be too noisy at night, since they will be sleeping (unless you use a bright light over them). I'm not sure what a spot lamp is. Is it just a heat lamp, but with an infrared bulb? If yes, than that is just fine. Infrared is actually better for the chicks so they don't constantly have bright light over them, which interferes with their sleep cycle.

You might want to put 5 extra fake eggs under the mom so she is not confused when she gets 5 extra chicks.

Yes it is just an Infrared bulb , but I think the "spot" part indicates that it focuses onto a small area which is why I'll raise it to disperse the heat a little better

 

[DobieLover]

One of hens has gone broody and is currently incubating 9 eggs (all I had at the time she went broody). I can't be sure ,but it seems like I'll get 7 chicks (if I'm interpeting the candling right).

I read that a hen depending on its size can look after 14 + chicks. Mine, being medium sized, I suppose could handle about 12 and I decided to order 5 chicks. I intend on sneaking them under her at night and hoping she'll adopt them. But I know that if she does not then I'll need to have a plan B .

Plan B is to raise them in my house, but I have a couple concerns
1) Will they be too noisy at night
2) Can I use a 75 watt infrared spot lamp to keep them warm (meant for reptiles)

Are the chicks you ordered due to arrive the day of hatch for the broodies eggs? If not, you can't put them together. Even one day makes a difference with broody raised chicks. I had to do an assisted hatch for a late egg under a broody this spring. The broody did eventually accept her daughter but the first couple of days were tenuous and if it hadn't been for the fact we had a cold snap with snow that made the broody stay put in the maternity ward and constantly having to warm the chicks, it may not have worked out so well.
I would avoid any bulb marketed for reptiles. They have a coating on them that can outgas and kill chicks.
I would invest in a brooder plate instead. It's far better than a heat lamp as it replicates natural heating for the chicks better. If you have space in your coop, you can set up a brooder area right in the coop with a brooder plate. Chick integration is far faster and easier when the chicks are raised within sight of the adult flock.

 

[SA gardener]

Are the chicks you ordered due to arrive the day of hatch for the broodies eggs? If not, you can't put them together. Even one day makes a difference with broody raised chicks. I had to do an assisted hatch for a late egg under a broody this spring. The broody did eventually accept her daughter but the first couple of days were tenuous and if it hadn't been for the fact we had a cold snap with snow that made the broody stay put in the maternity ward and constantly having to warm the chicks, it may not have worked out so well.
I would avoid any bulb marketed for reptiles. They have a coating on them that can outgas and kill chicks.
I would invest in a brooder plate instead. It's far better than a heat lamp as it replicates natural heating for the chicks better. If you have space in your coop, you can set up a brooder area right in the coop with a brooder plate. Chick integration is far faster and easier when the chicks are raised within sight of the adult flock.

Yes , they are a scheduled to arrive on the hatch day